Most of the Olympians had scattered to the winds the moment the closing ceremony concluded. They flocked the beaches of the southern coast, the vineyards of Tuscany, or the mountain resorts of Nordvig. It seemed that everyone wanted rest, yet Himeko Nakamura desired to work. Himeko chose to remain in the capital, having invested a chunk of her playoff bonus enrolling in the "Ascension Program" - an infamously grueling, invite-only bootcamp hosted in a private district of Victoria.

  Himeko didn't care much about the Olympic Gold sitting in her suitcase. To her, that medal belonged to the starters, as she had been a spectator for the matches that mattered. Right now, the only that mattered was getting better. If she was going to survive the next VNL season, she needed to be more than just "solid."

  Himeko pushed open the double doors of Facility B.

  It was a big space, the ceiling disappearing into steel rafters with crisp and clinical lighting.

  There had already been about seven or eight athletes scattered across the three courts, mixed bag of Division 1 hopefuls and fringe Crown League players looking to secure their contracts. A libero from the Grimm Spirits was doing basic practice drills; while two Men's players were stretching near the net.

  Himeko adjusted her kneepads as she scanned the room for an empty spot to warm up, passing over the anonymous faces of the other grinders, until it landed on two figures standing near the far baseline of the center court. One of them was slouching, looking as if he were trying to nap, but it was the man talking to him that made Himeko froze.

  He stood with his back to the wall, engaging in an animated retelling of something. His hands moved expressively as he mimicked a spiking motion. Even from this distance, the man looked so familiar - his broad shoulders, his messy hair and the confidence in his posture.

  He wore a simple grey training shirt. The name printed in bold white letters across the shoulders was hard to miss.

  MARVANT

  Himeko paused mid-step. What seemed like a peaceful, focused training camp could potentially be ruined by this one person.

  No.

  Dozens of luxury gyms in Victoria, as there were beaches in Howoii, endorsements waiting for him to film. Why was the MVP of Men's Crown League choosing to grind in a secondary facility at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday?

  Himeko did not wait to find out. She pivoted, turning on her heel, keeping her head down, and began to walk silently back toward the exit. If she was fast and quiet enough, she could switch to Facility C before he even turned around.

  "Nakamura!"

  Hovering inches from the exit push-bar, her shoulders stiffened. It was too late.

  She cursed her own hesitation. The sound of squeaking sneakers approached from behind.

  "Knew it," Kevin said. "I saw the ponytail and the 'don't talk to me' aura and I thought 'hmmm there's only one person in Voland with that specific combination.'"

  Himeko lowered her hand from the door and disinterestedly turned around. Standing there was Kevin, beaming with a smile that was entirely too bright for a Tuesday morning. He looked genuinely delighted, as if he thought they were old friends reuniting after years apart, rather than two people who had a series of awkward non-interactions.

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  "Marvant."

  "Small world, huh? Didn't think I'd see anyone from the National squad here. Most of them are probably traveling somewhere. Good on you for grinding."

  His expression turned eager. "Since we're both here, we should pair up. Damian is here too, but we need a solid middle to run drills with. It's fate, really."

  Himeko stared at him. The thought of spending her offseason stuck to this ball of energy was her definition of purgatory. She let out a long sigh.

  "I appreciate the enthusiasm," she said, stepping past him and walking onto the gym floor, heading for the farthest, emptiest corner. "However, I didn't come here to socialize. I came to work on my mechanics."

  She stopped and turned to face him once.

  "I'm here to train. Alone. I would prefer if you didn't include yourself in my sessions."

  Kevin blinked, caught off guard yet again. He jogged a few steps to catch up to her stride, his brows furrowing.

  "Hold on," he said, matching her pace. "I get that you like your space, but like, look at the logic here. I hit and you block. Iron sharpens iron, right? We could get way more out of two hours together than you'll get hitting a ball by yourself. Efficient."

  Himeko didn't even break stride. "Efficiency requires focus. You are loud and distracting, and your presence invites attention. That is the opposite of efficiency."

  She reached the far court and dropped her bag on the bench. She began to unlace her street shoes, signaling that the conversation was over.

  Kevin stood there, watching her ignore him, which then made him realize that kindness, friendliness, and even proper reasoning were useless against Himeko Nakamura. She didn't care much about being polite, nor did she care about his status.

  He looked at her bent back, the focus was entirely on her shoelaces, a spark lit up in his eyes. If she wouldn't respond to a teammate, maybe she would respond to an opponent.

  "Fine. Want me to leave you alone?" Kevin asked. "You want peace and quiet? Impress me and it's all yours."

  Himeko looked up.

  "One block," he stated. "I'll get Damian to set. I attack. You defend. If you can kill-block me, just once, I will walk away. I won't talk to you for the rest of this camp. Hell, I won't talk to you for the rest of our careers... unless it's a forced handshake.”

  Himeko straightened up. She looked at him, searching for the joke.

  "And if I fail?" she asked.

  "Then we train together. Today only," Kevin shrugged. "But let's be honest, if you stop me, you get exactly what you want."

  Himeko considered, a gamble, but the odds were in her favor. She was the "Iron Maiden," blocking was her life. Against a single attacker, even one as good as Kevin, if she made one correct read, it shouldn't be hard. All she needed was one good play.

  "One attempt?" She clarified.

  "One attempt." Kevin nodded.

  Himeko stood, meeting his gaze directly.

  "Deal."